How to Remove Pet Stains from Car Upholstery

Even a well-trained dog can get car sick or overly excited during a car ride and relieve themselves on the seat. Thankfully, removing the stains and odors from these messes is relatively easy. Choose a section below and follow the steps to clean the seats.

You Will Need:

Paper towels

Club soda

Pet enzyme cleaner

White vinegar

Water

Baking soda

Steps to Clean the Stain:

Blot the area with some paper towels to soak up as much liquid as possible.¹

Pour a small amount of club soda onto the area,² then quickly blot up the liquid. If you don’t have any club soda, you can use cool water instead. If the stain is old or dried, you may want to repeat this step twice.¹

Select a pet enzyme cleaner that is safe for upholstery, such as such as Kids ‘N’ Pets Stain and Odor Remover. Follow the instructions on the bottle of your selected cleaner to treat the stain.¹

If you don’t have an enzyme cleaner, you can use white vinegar instead, but test it on a small, hidden area of the upholstery first to look for any adverse reaction. Mix equal parts vinegar and water, pour a small amount of the mixture over the area, then blot up the liquid with paper towels. Pour some plain water on the area to remove any vinegar residue, then blot up the water as well.²

Roll down the car windows while the area dries.

Repeat the treatment with your selected cleaner until the stain is gone.¹

If any odor remains, sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda over the area. Leave the baking soda in place for several hours, then vacuum it up. Repeat as many times as needed to fully remove the odor.²

You Will Need:

A plastic scraper

A dust pan

Pet enzyme cleaner

Hydrogen peroxide

Baking soda

Steps to Clean the Stain:

Remove as much of the solid matter as possible with plastic scraper and a dust pan.¹

If there is any semi-solid residue left, such as with diarrhea, cover the area with a generous amount of baking soda. Allow the baking soda to sit on the spot for a couple hours or until the matter dries, then scrape or vacuum up the powder and continue with the steps below.

Press a damp cloth onto the stain, then rotate the cloth to a clean area and press it on the stain again. Continue rotating and pressing the cloth until little or no diarrhea is transferred to the cloth.³

Select a pet enzyme cleaner that is safe for upholstery, such as Kids ‘N’ Pets Stain and Odor Remover. Follow the instructions on the bottle of your selected cleaner to treat the stain.¹

If there isn’t a stain, you can use 3% hydrogen peroxide to disinfect the area instead. Test the peroxide on a small, hidden area first to look for any adverse reaction with the upholstery. If safe, pour a small amount on the area, then blot up the excess liquid with paper towels.³

Roll down the car windows while the area dries.

Repeat the process with your selected cleaner until the stain is gone.¹

If any odor remains, sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda over the area. Leave the baking soda in place for several hours, then vacuum it up. Repeat as many times as needed to fully remove the odor.²

If a liquid, such as urine or diarrhea, is allowed to sit on upholstery for very long, it can seep deep into the padding of the seat. For this reason, it may be necessary to repeat the treatment of an old stain several times or to allow the cleaner to soak deep into the upholstery as well.⁴

If your pet is prone to accidents, it would be best to keep them in a carrier while traveling, or to cover the seats with a plastic cloth or trash bags with a towel on top.